


Just Temporary

by tsunderei



Series: Future!Kagehina AU [5]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Future, Hinata Shouyou-centric, Injury, Light Angst, Living Together, M/M, Pro Volleyball Player Hinata Shouyou, Pro Volleyball Player Kageyama Tobio, Sports Injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-09-07 18:02:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20313718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tsunderei/pseuds/tsunderei
Summary: The situation is what it is. Hinata has no choice but to stay behind and wait for Kageyama to come home.





	Just Temporary

**Author's Note:**

> Finally back with a new addition to this series! All my fics about pro!Kagehina have been more or less Kageyama-centric so it’s about time I focused more on Hinata, hopefully I wrote him well. I’ve been thinking a lot about updating this the past year but I haven’t had any good ideas that didn’t seem repetitive or recycled. But I do love this AU with all my heart and soul and I’m sorry it took so long! I hope you’re still interested in it. As always this is a standalone and it’s not necessary to start from the beginning, but I’d very much appreciate it if you checked out the rest of the series as well! Please enjoy!

“Did you finish packing all your boxes yet or what?”

“Tobio, you’ve inspected every single one of my boxes, you should know.”

“That’s because they’re _our_ boxes, this is _our_ stuff. I’d like to check them first.”

“You just said ‘your boxes’!”

“I meant ‘your boxes’ as in the boxes _you_ are responsible for, dumbass! Just like I’m responsible for mine! They’re still _ours_!”

Hinata tears off another sheet of bubble wrap and rolls his eyes. “Just admit it.”

“Admit _what_?” Kageyama snaps.

“That you’re an insufferable perfectionist.”

This isn’t the first time they’re moving to a new apartment. It’s not even all that necessary, their current place is sufficient enough, but along with career advancement comes financial stability and bigger savings. Making a living as an athlete is never a sure thing but they’ve done well over the past few years. This move has been in the works for a while.

The new apartment isn’t overly expensive but it’s located in a more desirable district. It has more space, both inside and outside, and for once it actually has a working elevator (even though they always take the stairs, for competition’s sake). Superficial luxury was never that important to them anyway. Creating good memories together, making a home of their own, living with a sense of happiness and fulfillment – the older they get, the more they appreciate these things.

The timing for their move is bad, though. Kind of terrible, even. It’s early spring and they’re nearing the end of the premier league season. Their team has been advancing steadily this year, they’re looking at the final six right now – and Hinata can’t go.

It’s not that he doesn’t want to. Every fiber in his body wants to go. He just _can’t._

During their last game, after a killer spike, he landed awkwardly. He could feel his ankle twist, sharp pain shooting through it before giving way under him. In that moment, with the rush of adrenaline still present in his body, Hinata didn’t think much of it. He’s always considered himself sturdy and flexible, and he’s gone through a wide register of clumsy landings in his career, including belly flops, somersaults, and faceplants. He’s had the wind knocked out of him, seen stars from hitting his head too hard, ended up on his ass more often than his feet – he’s honestly done it all. This didn’t seem any different to him, not until he tried to stand up and realized he couldn’t.

The x-ray of his ankle later confirmed there was a partial tear in the ligament.

It’s a common injury among volleyball players and luckily surgery isn’t necessary, but it will take around two months for it to heal properly. So far he’s barely three days into his rehabilitation and the season ends already next week. It’s impossible for him to make it by any means. Hinata is out for now.

This is his first real injury ever and, more than anything, it’s frustrating. He’s upset about not being able to play and contribute to a possible victory, but that’s only half of it. The final games are away-games. The team is flying out to Osaka and Hinata can’t even tag along to watch because he needs to stay at home. He’s been seeing his physiotherapist every day but other than that he’s been told to take it as easy as possible, which means hobbling around the apartment, alone and bored out of his mind. Kageyama, of course, can’t be there to keep him company. He’s the team’s official setter after all.

Hinata hums thoughtfully to himself, absently covering the dinner plates in bubble wrap. He had almost expected Kageyama to get mad at him for being reckless – he’s still nagging him about stretches and proper warm-ups, even now – but instead it threw him completely off his game. Hinata can’t remember ever seeing his partner so frazzled and worried, as if he didn’t know what to do. Kageyama was substituted for the final set and sat the rest of the match out.

It’s a first for them, being in this situation. They’ve always played volleyball together, ever since they met in high school. University choices, premier league clubs, national team tryouts – they’ve stuck together through it all and ended up on the same side of the net every single time. By now it’s kind of a given that the two of them come in a set, that nobody does it quite like them. They took it for granted, that promise of invincibility. Hinata’s injury has proved them to be just as vulnerable as the rest.

Right now they’re in between matches and Kageyama is spending his days off at their soon-to-be old apartment, packing boxes and dismantling furniture. All the rooms are in disarray, they’re cramped and inconvenient and difficult to navigate, and Hinata hates the mess. And if _he_ hates it then it’s pretty much guaranteed that Kageyama absolutely loathes it. He’s a surprisingly organized person, he likes to be in control of things, and said things have literally been all over the place lately. The cleaners and the moving people are coming tomorrow and the two of them need to get all the payments in order, hand over the old keys, and meet with the new landlord. And then Kageyama has to leave for Osaka more or less immediately. He’s not showing it but on the inside he’s probably freaking out a little.

Hinata looks up from the dinner plates and realizes Kageyama is glaring at him from across the room.

“What?” He leans back, slightly alarmed when his boyfriend strides determinately over to his side.

“These floppy things –” Kageyama reaches out and briskly starts rolling Hinata’s sleeves up, “– are seriously pissing me off.”

“You’re angry because my sweater’s too big…?”

“You keep stretching and waving to get your hands free! It’s so inconvenient, they’re just in the way for you and it’s driving me nuts.”

Hinata glances up at him, struggling to hide his teasing grin. “Stupid-yama.”

“Shut up.”

“Fussy-yama.”

A small smile tugs at Kageyama’s lips. “Stop.”

“Secretly-finds-my-sweater-paws-cute-and-is-mad-because-he-got-distracted-yama!”

Hinata squeals with delight and laughter when Kageyama lets go of his sleeves and wraps his arms around him instead, threatening to tickle him into submission.

“You’re lucky you’re injured.”

“Or what?”

“Or I’d wrestle your dumb ass. Toss you onto the couch.”

“Still, that wouldn’t make me shut up.”

“No, but this will.”

Kageyama tilts his head, his warm breath a passing feathery touch before he presses their lips together, kissing Hinata’s grin away. Hinata sways a little in his embrace and barely saves himself from stumbling into the box full of glass and porcelain. He loops his arms around his neck and tugs him closer, keeping them both in a hug after they break apart.

“What’s the matter?” Kageyama murmurs into the crook of his neck.

“Nothing,” Hinata replies, voice muffled. “It’s just… I’ll miss this place. And we’re leaving it in such a hurry. It almost feels like we’re being evicted, or uprooted. We won’t get to settle into our new apartment either, because you’ll be going away so soon. I’ll be completely alone in a new and unknown place that is actually our home. I don’t know. It’s just… weird to think about.”

Kageyama is quiet for a while and Hinata can clearly feel it in his shoulders and arms, how tense and worried and exhausted he is. For the first time he wishes volleyball season would hurry up and end already.

“I feel the same way,” Kageyama admits quietly. “But it’s fine, isn’t it? It’s just temporary.”

**

Their first shared apartment was basically a basement where literally everything except the bathroom came all-in-one. They could cover the distance from the bed to the kitchen area with only three steps and the small windows barely filtered any natural light in. Sharing a cramped space with another person is always a challenge, especially when said person is almost 190 centimeters tall, but they didn’t really mind it so much. The rent was affordable, especially for a couple of university students, and it offered a good place to crash whenever they weren’t out on volleyball-related business. Hinata put up fairy lights everywhere to make it cozy and Kageyama bought new glow-in-the-dark stickers for him. The glue on them turned out to be super strong and impossible to peel off. Hinata is sure those stickers are still glowing on that ceiling to this day.

After graduating they moved into their second apartment. It could be considered an upgrade but it had its drawbacks. There was no balcony, the back-alley view consisted mostly of brick and corrugated iron, and it was located close to a train station. On the plus side it had a big skylight that brightened the room up, turning the place into something sunny and inviting. They decorated with tiny succulents and got custom-made coffee mugs with stupid volleyball puns printed on them. The succulents eventually withered away but the mugs still remain.

Their third apartment is the one they just moved out of. Hinata feels sad about leaving the narrow balcony, the peaceful neighborhood, and even the color stains in the bathroom sink, permanently left there after Hinata impulsively decided to dye his hair pink. He had to bleach it first – a catastrophe in itself – and ended up walking around with blotchy blond hair for several weeks before he had it fixed back to its original vibrant orange. That memory, along with so many others, is location-specific. He will always have it but it kind of belongs there, in that place.

Hinata is going to miss it. He’s going to miss Kageyama too, even though he’ll be coming back.

“You don’t have to unpack anything,” Kageyama says, standing in the entryway of their new apartment. He nods in direction of the living room, which is stacked full of unopened boxes. “Wait for me and I’ll do it.”

“I’m gonna have to unpack what I need, though.”

“Obviously. But remember you’re supposed to rest.”

Hinata crosses his arms and huffs, annoyed. “Stop worrying so much. I’ll be fine.”

“Just don’t do anything stupid.” Kageyama shoulders his bag and pauses for a second. “When next season starts I’d like both of us to be in top condition. Not just me.”

“It’s a sprained ankle. I’m not dying.”

“You don’t have to be an idiot about it,” Kageyama mutters, scowling. “I’m just saying.”

Hinata wants to bite back with something, mostly out of reflex, but changes his mind last minute. The situation is difficult enough as it is; he doesn’t want to pile on any more negativity and make them say goodbye with bad feelings. It is what it is and it’s pointless to argue. He reins in what’s left of his irritation and exhales quietly.

“Yeah, you’re right,” he nods. “I’m sorry. I’ll be careful.”

Kageyama’s frown softens and he looks at him with the tiniest smile.

“Hey – come here.”

He envelops him in a warm hug and Hinata leans into him, breathing in deeply. His windbreaker is soft and crinkly and he smells like fresh laundry and hasty showers. Hinata closes his eyes and holds him tightly, hoping Kageyama will feel his touch long after he lets go; that he’ll sense him even when he’s playing on the court in a different city.

“I’ll miss you,” he murmurs.

“Yeah, but it’s just temporary,” Kageyama says. It’s apparently his favorite phrase these days, although Hinata isn’t sure if he’s saying it to reassure him or if it’s just turned into a calming mantra of sorts.

“Give them hell.” Hinata looks up at him insistently. “And come back as soon as you can, okay? Come right back home.”

“Of course.”

“Preferably with a trophy.”

Kageyama snorts a laugh and flicks him gently on the nose, quickly following up with a kiss before Hinata can complain too much about it.

**

Just unpacking what he needs is a task easier said than done. Everything’s neatly organized, all the boxes have been named and placed in their respective rooms, but what Hinata wants always seems to be hidden away at the very bottom. Most of their stuff has been mixed up anyway; he always has to pick his way through four or five of Kageyama’s things before he finds what he’s looking for.

“You forgot to bring your hand cream,” Hinata says to his phone and waves the small tube at the camera.

It’s his second night alone in the new apartment. It still sounds different and smells unfamiliar, like it’s somebody else’s home that he just happened to wander into. He keeps waiting for the door to suddenly unlock and for a complete stranger to walk in.

His only company at the moment is Kageyama, who’s joining him in the bedroom via video call. Hinata has to admit it feels strange talking to his boyfriend like this. He’s never really thought about it before but he realizes now how rarely they actually call or text each other. Why would they be talking on the phone when they’re usually together anyway? In the back of his mind he wonders how healthy it is, to be so attached at the hip like they are.

“Oh, I was looking for that,” Kageyama says, interrupting Hinata’s worries. “Where did you find it?”

“In between the bathroom towels.”

He earns himself a trademark Kageyama-frown in response, an expression stuck somewhere between skeptical and concerned.

“I hope you haven’t been unpacking too much.”

“I haven’t.” Hinata flips the camera to show how cramped and messy the bedroom is. “See?”

“Wow,” Kageyama breathes out in disbelief. “Somehow it looks even worse from this angle.”

“Exactly,” Hinata laughs. “So make sure you come home soon, you gotta help me with these damn boxes.”

“How’s your ankle?”

“It’s fine… It’s not that swollen or painful anymore but my physiotherapist says it’s too early to ditch the crutches. I’m stuck with them for at least another week.”

He leans back against the pillows and sighs heavily. Even in the dim light Kageyama’s hair looks wet and messy, straight out of the shower, and Hinata’s fingers are itching to reach out and touch it. Earlier today he caught the livestream of their match and watched his team win. A victory at this stage means they’ve advanced to the semi-finals, which is great. It also means Hinata will be home alone for a little while longer – which isn’t that great. He groans at the thought and slides further under the blankets, leaving only his eyes and the top of his head visible.

Kageyama squints at him suspiciously. “What’s the matter with you?”

“Nothing… I just miss you, is all. I wish you were here. Or that I was there.”

“It’s just four more days.”

“It’ll be less if you lose,” Hinata murmurs, his voice barely audible.

“You want us to deliberately lose or something?”

“No way, don’t get any weird ideas.” He reappears from his blankets, frowning. “I was just stating a fact.”

Kageyama laughs, the sound coming out thin and metallic through the phone speakers, but it’s nonetheless warm and intimate enough to make butterflies appear in Hinata’s belly. It happens to him every time, without fail, even after all these years. He loves it so much when Kageyama’s eyes crinkle into half-moons, when his lips pull wide enough to reveal that one dimple in his cheek, and he loves the pure sound of his laugh, so rare yet so becoming.

“You’re stupid,” he says, amused.

“I’m not stupid,” Hinata pouts. “But I’m bored and lonely and I don’t know my way around my own home, I can never find anything here. It’s like I was just dropped off and left in this place. It doesn’t feel like ours.”

“I know, Shouyou,” Kageyama sighs. “But this is just –”

“– temporary,” Hinata finishes for him. “Yeah.”

Kageyama sighs once more and then remains quiet for a moment. “I miss you too,” he says haltingly, the faintest shade of red barely visible on his cheeks. He brushes a hand through his damp hair, clearly embarrassed. “I… think a lot about holding you and kissing you.”

“You could kiss your screen right now.”

“I’m not gonna kiss my screen, dumbass.”

Hinata smiles despite himself and rolls over on his side, feeling satisfied, even if it’s just for a little while; even if that as well is temporary.

“You’ve got a game in a few hours, you should rest. Good luck tomorrow, okay? I’ll watch the livestream and cheer for you guys.”

After they hang up Hinata squeezes a tiny bit of Kageyama’s hand cream into his palm. He cups his hands in front of his face, breathes in the mild scent of lilacs, and tries to fall sleep.

**

The following morning Hinata stops by a florist on his way home from physio. If he’s banned from doing any unpacking he can at least try to brighten the place up instead, make it look more homely and lived-in. He carefully considers several fancy flower arrangements but finally settles on a pot of blue hydrangeas. They’re simple yet beautiful and will last much longer than a bouquet. Besides, they remind him of Kageyama, for some reason.

It’s only after he’s paid for them that he realizes how big and heavy they are and that there’s no way for him to carry the flowers home while also juggling his crutches. It’s embarrassing because there’s only a few blocks left until he’s home, but he ends up with no choice but to flag down a taxi. He catches himself almost telling the driver his old address.

Once he’s back Hinata brings the flowers out on their new spacious balcony. He poses next to them, snaps a selfie, and sends the picture to Kageyama.

_a little something for good luck!!! flowers that remind me of you!!!_** (****｡****´**ω**｀****♡****)**

He doesn’t expect an immediate reply; Kageyama is probably busy with practice and team meetings now anyway. He’s also the kind of guy who only keeps a phone out of necessity, and he’s generally a slow responder. Being on the phone is one of Kageyama’s least favorite activities. His use of social media is halting and non-interactive, with long periods of radio silence in between updates, whereas Hinata posts daily on all his platforms and tries to answer questions. Everyone who knows Kageyama is used to this and Hinata supposes there’s a certain charm to it, the way he unintentionally leaves people wanting more. He still has a lot of fans and always gets a ton of response whenever he decides to go online.

Hinata puts his phone away and looks out at the city below, shading his eyes from the afternoon sun. He has to admit they really got a great view included in the deal. In fact, the view is partially what pulls the rent up, not the building or the apartment itself. For the first time they’re located as high as the seventh floor and most of the neighboring buildings are no taller than five or six stories, which leaves the horizon open and clear. The scattered rooftops are small islands in the large cityscape, some of them serving as extra parking lots, others holding mini-gardens complete with flowers and pathways and benches. In the nearest distance there’s also a park, with the slightest glimpse of a lake shimmering through the branches of the cherry trees. It’s urban beauty at its finest and Hinata wishes he could utilize it.

He sighs, shrugging against the itchy restlessness currently trapped in his body. If he could just go for a run then the situation would’ve been a little better, at least he would’ve had some kind of physical outlet for his energy, for his longing, but he can’t even go on a walk without dragging his crutches along.

He resigns himself to updating his social media, trying to channel his boredom somewhere else. He snaps a couple of pictures of the view and posts them. Then he brings the hydrangeas back inside and places them in an empty window, where they actually do brighten up the room a little. They really should consider buying more flowers. Hinata checks that they’re sufficiently watered and makes his way to the kitchen to prepare dinner, before settling in to watch the volleyball livestream.

**

From: **Tobio! ****♡  
**Friday, 10.38 PM

_Lost the semi 3 – 2. Sorry. Will do our best to get 3rd._

**

The volleyball season is drawing to a close and the team has been given a resting day before their bronze medal match is up. For Hinata however, it’s just another Saturday. And to be honest he doesn’t know what to do with it. He’s really bad at relaxing and sitting around doing nothing. His daily routine usually involves a long run (together with Kageyama), a workout session (together with Kageyama), and then of course volleyball in some shape or form (together with Kageyama) – but obviously he can’t do any of those things right now.

He texted Kageyama back last night, right after he received his message about their loss. Told him he’d watched it and that he was sorry, too. He hasn’t heard anything from him since, which is really no big deal, but still he wants to talk to him. He wants to hear his voice, to offer him some comforting words – he just isn’t sure how to go about it.

Losses tend to leave Kageyama unapproachable for a while. He needs alone time to process and analyze his moves, to figure out what went wrong. He’s definitely gotten better at handling this over time; experience helps a lot and so does maturity. But no matter how much he’s mellowed out since high school his heart is still that of an athlete. He will always _hate _to lose. Achieving anything short of first place goes against the core of what makes him the person he is. Hinata knows this very well because he’s exactly the same. Losing sucks, plain and simple.

This time it’s different. Hinata isn’t directly involved in their loss. It’s his team and it’s still disappointing, but he’s so removed from it all, sitting here several miles away without contributing anything worthwhile. It doesn’t have the same impact on him like it probably has on Kageyama. For the first time Hinata wonders if calling him now would be annoying. He doesn’t want to be a nuisance, not if he can help it.

It feels weird having to take these thoughts into consideration. Or maybe, rather than weird, it feels uncomfortable and worrying. He shouldn’t have to be bothered by doubts like these; he shouldn’t be having them in the first place. It’s stupid. It’s not like he’s scared of his boyfriend or anything. He just wants to know how he’s doing. Of course he can call.

Hinata pushes his insecurities aside and picks his phone up, only to have them return when Kageyama doesn’t answer him. He decides to wait for a bit, does his daily rehabilitation exercises in the meantime, and then he calls him a second time – again to no avail.

It doesn’t necessarily mean anything. So Kageyama is either busy, or he didn’t bring his phone along. He often abandons it in his hotel room without meaning to. Or maybe he’s forgotten to put the sound back on, or even charge it. He’s pretty bad at that.

Hinata ignores the small knot of worry in his chest, the one that says Kageyama could literally just be ignoring him, and makes himself lunch. He calls once more, this time without expecting an answer, and his expectations are met when the dial tone switches over to voicemail yet again.

“This is useless,” he mutters, annoyed at the fact that he actually has this much free time to waste.

He gives up on trying to reach him and instead connects his phone to the speakers, selects a random playlist, and makes his way to the bedroom to fold some laundry. Their new IKEA wardrobe still sits in its box unassembled, so for now Hinata sorts their clothes in neat piles and leaves them on Kageyama’s empty side of the bed. He rubs the sleeve of one of his hoodies between his fingers, smiling at the soft touch of cotton – and then he jerks his hand back in surprise when the music suddenly cuts off and his phone starts ringing, echoing loudly through the apartment.

Hinata scrambles to his feet as fast as he can when he realizes it’s Kageyama calling him back.

“Tobio!” he yells excitedly into the phone, trying not to stumble in his crutches. “There you are!”

“Shouyou, what’s the matter? Did something happen?”

The blunt tone in Kageyama’s voice completely throws him off for a moment. He stills, his smile slowly disappearing from his face.

“Huh…? Why would you ask that?”

“I have like three missed calls from you, I thought something was wrong.”

“What –? No!” Hinata rushes to clarify. “That’s not it at all, I just wanted to know how you were doing. And I thought it’d be nice to actually talk for a bit, instead of just text… Nothing’s wrong.”

“Oh… Okay?”

The line falls silent on Kageyama’s end, a few distant background noises the only thing proving that he’s still there, listening.

“Yeah, so…” Hinata continues hesitantly. “You’re fine then?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Kageyama’s voice has made the switch from concerned to irritated and Hinata is both confused and taken aback at this. He’s starting to wonder if he just caught him at an inconvenient time or if calling him really was a bad idea after all.

“I’m asking because you literally lost yesterday,” he says, trying not to let this weird mood rub off on him. “Did I interrupt something or –?”

The line goes breathlessly quiet again for a couple of seconds before Kageyama sighs heavily. When he speaks again he sounds tired, like he hasn’t slept much at all.

“No… No, you didn’t. Things didn’t go well at practice today and it gave me a lot to think about for tomorrow’s match. I’m sorry, Shouyou,” he adds, without explaining what he’s actually sorry for.

“It’s okay. I –” _miss you._

The rest of the words are caught in Hinata’s throat. For some reason it almost seems misplaced to say something like this in the wake of Kageyama’s apology. He sounds more distant than usual and Hinata’s not sure if those are the words he wants to hear right now.

“Um… I mean, good luck tomorrow,” he says instead. “I’m sure your problems will solve themselves, right? They always do. So don’t wear yourself out. Please get some rest.”

Part of him wishes Kageyama would talk to him about it, that he’d open up and share whatever’s bothering him, but he suspects the conversation is already over.

“Thank you,” Kageyama replies, confirming his suspicions. “I’ll do that.”

They hang up and Hinata feels uneasy. He slumps onto the bed, gnawing restlessly on his lip, and brushes his hand over Kageyama’s hoodie again. The conversation had barely lasted four minutes, neither of them gained much from it, and the entire time Kageyama had sounded so… off. That’s the most accurate way to describe the vibe he got from him.

Hinata thinks that’s why he didn’t tell him he missed him. It’s only natural to miss your partner, your boyfriend, and it’s natural to express it – but he thinks he didn’t say it because he was afraid he’d come off as clingy and annoying. And that’s the last thing he wants.

He takes a deep breath to keep his thoughts from escalating completely and taps his chest lightly, willing his heart to calm down. It won’t stop sinking, creating a constant surge inside of him that he can’t control. Hinata kind of feels like this apartment right now: cramped, chaotic, disorganized.

“It doesn’t mean anything,” he quietly reassures himself, his fingers clutched around the sleeve of Kageyama’s hoodie. “It’s only temporary.”

**

The airport is pretty crowded, even at domestic arrivals, and Hinata has some trouble moving around without getting his crutches caught in someone’s leg. Riding the airport express had been a hassle – the subway isn’t exactly crutch-friendly and there’s always a rush at lunchtime – but apart from getting a bit lost around Terminal 2 he managed to get through the journey more or less painlessly.

He’s definitely not supposed to be here, though. Meeting at the airport isn’t something they planned beforehand; Kageyama would never agree to it with Hinata’s current condition. In fact, he only decided on taking the trip out this morning, acting purely on impulse. He already spent the whole of yesterday pacing around restlessly and their weird conversation earlier only made him more impatient. Hanging around at home was unproductive.

He just wants to see his boyfriend, that’s all. He wants to kiss him and hold him and make sure everything’s okay, and the sooner the better. He wants this temporary state to be over.

The information board has been displaying ‘LANDED’ next to Kageyama’s flight for a while now and Hinata hops back and forth, trying to spot any familiar faces among the steady stream of newly arrived passengers.

He recognizes his team captain first of all; he’s walking through the doors in conversation with their coach. Their libero appears next, then their vice captain, followed by pretty much the entire rest of the team before Kageyama finally shows up. Hinata’s heart jumps excitedly, his body practically buzzing with the need to run towards him, full charge.

Instead he calls out as loudly as he can.

“Tobio!”

Kageyama’s head immediately snaps up at the sound of his name, his expression frozen in perfect confusion. There’s a trace of recognition on his face, a hint of ‘was that who I thought it was?’, and he slows down a little, sweeps the crowd with a deep frown.

“Tobio!” Hinata bounces up and down on one leg. “Tobio, over here!”

Kageyama does a double take when he finally notices. His eyes immediately go wide with unexpected surprise and he stops in his tracks so abruptly the next person almost crashes into him. For a moment they’re just standing there staring at each other, Kageyama with his mouth hanging open and Hinata grinning back. He’s tempted to just drop his crutches right there and go for it, to kiss that stupid look off his face, but then Kageyama abandons his luggage and elbows his way through the crowd.

“Shouyou –!”

Once he reaches him he catches him by the shoulders, his grip surprisingly firm, his expression bordering on frantic.

“What’re you doing here? What’s happened?”

“I – I came to meet you…?” Hinata falters, startled by his reaction. “Welcome h–”

“How’d you get here?” Kageyama asks, interrupting him sharply. “Did you take a taxi? Did someone else drive you?”

“What – no!” Starting to get more than a little annoyed, Hinata shrugs out of his grip and glares defensively up at him. “I took the subway, obviously.”

“The subway?” Kageyama repeats, still with that sharp edge in his voice. “You took the subway like this?”

“What do you mean ‘like this’? It went perfectly fine –”

Kageyama waves a lecturing finger at him, once again cutting him off. “Do you realize you could’ve been shoved, or fallen down the stairs, or even tripped on the escalator? What about the platform gap, did you ever consider that? And just imagine how much weight and stress your healthy foot is under right now! You’re setting yourself up for more injuries by skipping around this way!”

“Why the hell are you so mad?”

“Because I told you to rest and be careful! I told you not to do anything stupid!”

A sudden burst of anger blooms within Hinata’s chest, quickly reaching the point of explosion, and he completely forgets they’re in a crowded airport lobby.

“It’s not stupid!” he shouts, his shoulders trembling. “I came here because I couldn’t wait, because I missed you! And that’s _not_ stupid! _You’re_ the stupid one for saying it’s stupid! I just –”

His breath hitches in his throat and he stops, the corners of his eyes burning with prickly, disappointed tears. He’s caught off guard, not only by Kageyama’s reaction but also by his own emotions. He never thought meeting his partner again would make him cry, at least not like this. Some of the anger leaves him and he looks down at his feet, taking a second to gather himself. When he speaks again his voice still wavers.

“I just… I thought you’d be happy to see me.”

The silence that follows his words is tense and heavy, even within the murmur of voices and the clatter of trolley bags. An announcement echoes over the PA a couple of times and a new stream of passengers emerges from the doors. Someone accidentally bumps into Hinata’s shoulder as they pass by but he ignores them because Kageyama has once again reached out – and this time he’s pulling him into a hug.

“Seriously…” he sighs, pressing him close to his chest. “Sometimes you’re right and it’s infuriating.”

Hinata deflates, the rest of his anger disappearing. He lets go of his crutches and wraps his arms around Kageyama’s waist instead, sinking into his embrace.

“I’m sorry,” Kageyama mutters into his hair. “I got way too ahead of myself. I guess it kicked my worries into overdrive, seeing you standing there with crutches and all.” He hugs him tighter, squeezing him. “I’m happy to see you, Shouyou. I really missed you so much.”

Hinata closes his eyes, listens to his muffled heartbeat through the noise surrounding them, and he’s suddenly filled with so much embarrassment and amusement. He’s blushing all the way to his hairline, his lips pulling into a wobbly smile, those fizzy sparks in his chest too bubbly to be contained. In the end he can’t help it and bursts into laughter.

“What?” Kageyama nudges him. “Did you lose your mind or something?”

“We’re so stupid.” Hinata looks up at his confused face, grinning widely. “We’re really so stupid we started fighting right off the bat.”

A glimpse of shame briefly passes over Kageyama’s face, his ears turning a shade of pink, before he covers it up with a smirk and reaches out to pinch Hinata’s flushed cheeks.

“Good to know you’re finally acknowledging the fact that you’re a dumbass.”

“Hey!” Hinata pipes up indignantly and swats at his hands. “I said ‘we’! That includes you!”

“You’re the one who said it. I never agreed.” Kageyama shrugs and heads in direction of his luggage, waving for him to follow along. “Let’s get out of here. I’m starving.”

“But you _did_ agree!” Hinata picks up his crutches and limps after him. “I called you stupid and you said I was right!”

“Nope. You were right to think I was happy to see you – that’s what I meant.”

“No way! That’s not how I heard it.”

“Then you heard wrong.”

“You’re so annoying!”

“_You’re_ annoying.”

**

“Here.”

Hinata looks up from the box of takeaway pizza to find Kageyama standing in front of him with his arm outstretched. Dangling from his hand is a bronze medal tied to the end of a silky blue ribbon.

“Oh! That’s right, your third place win!” He admires the award for a little while before realizing Kageyama is already wearing one and that he’s actually got two of them. “This… this is for me?” he asks, puzzled.

“Of course,” Kageyama says through a mouthful of pizza. “Everyone on the official club roster gets one. Just because you’re injured right now doesn’t change the fact that you’re on the team. Besides, you’ve played literally every match this season except the last ones. You’re one of the reasons we got this far in the first place.”

“So… you’re saying if I was there we would’ve won?”

“I did _not_ say that, dumbass.”

He casually loops the medal around Hinata’s neck and sits down next to him on the couch, reaching for another slice. Hinata traces the bronze with his fingers. It’s very beautiful and feels smooth and heavy in his hands, with the premier league logo etched into the surface. He still has personal memories attached to it, even though he couldn’t participate. He’s going to treasure it just as much his other achievements.

“Thanks, Tobio.” He smiles and leans in to plant a kiss on Kageyama’s cheek. “You’ve worked hard and you did well. I’m proud of you.”

Kageyama hums into his third pizza slice. “Not exactly a trophy but it’s something.”

Hinata leans back on the couch and rests his legs in his boyfriend’s lap. It’s only been a few hours since he came home and his unpacked luggage only adds to the overall mess, but just being together like this again makes the apartment seem a lot more familiar and warmer already.

“Hey, I’m… sorry about that phone call, by the way,” Kageyama says suddenly. “You know, after we lost the semis. I was kinda gruff with you and you didn’t deserve that.”

“Oh.” Hinata blinks at him, not expecting the conversation to take this turn. “Don’t worry, I’d forgotten all about that,” he assures him. “It was my bad anyway, I shouldn’t have called. I get it if you were annoyed.”

“True, I _was_ annoyed.” Kageyama pauses, gives it a thought, and then corrects himself. “But not with you, exactly.”

“So what was it? You said practice didn’t go well that day?”

He hesitates, cups Hinata’s injured foot in his hand, carefully rubs his ankle. His fingers are warm against his skin, his touch gentle.

“You’re right, it didn’t. I kept tossing to you, over and over, like you were there. And then I started wondering if we’d become too dependent on each other, if I can only toss properly to you. I know it’s stupid but right there and then it was really frustrating. I was missing you a lot and when you called it reminded me that you were actually injured. Ending the season without you was a lot harder than I thought.” Kageyama looks up and shrugs. “It was just that.”

So it turns out they’ve both been worrying about similar things. Hinata isn’t surprised, not really. They always were on the same wavelength after all. It puts their relationship into a different perspective, and he supposes they have some things to work on, but above all he’s relieved. In a way it’s good to know that Kageyama feels the same. Maybe it will make it easier for them if this situation were to happen again in the future.

Hinata shifts his position and settles in Kageyama’s lap, kissing him softly, treasuring the warmth and tenderness he’s been so deprived of lately. Their lives are filled with so many passing, fleeting things – his injury, the blue hydrangeas in the window, their dumb fight at the airport, living out of boxes and suitcases. It’s always going to be like that but it doesn’t really matter. It’s okay, as long as what they have remains permanent. And Hinata knows it will.

“Never mind,” he whispers. “That was just temporary – right?”

Kageyama goes quiet for a second, a little surprised at his words, like it’s been a while since he heard that phrase and now he forgot all about it.

“Right,” he agrees, a smile on his lips. “Just temporary.”

**Author's Note:**

> CHEESY ENDING COMPLETE WITH TITLE REPEAT COMING THROUGH LMAO. Kagehina are soulmates in love, there is no other option for them than living happily ever after in domestic bliss. I can’t possibly be the only one who loves post-canon Kagehina in their mid to late 20s, right? Because I really do, I love making their lives not only about volleyball but also about their established relationship and everything that comes with it, good and bad. And I hope you liked it, thank you for reading!
> 
> Feel free to talk to me on twitter [@tsun_derei](https://twitter.com/tsun_derei)!


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